Railway-signal.



No. 889,160. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

s. M. WARD, JR.

. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON,-D. I:

No. 889,160. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

, s. M. WARD,. JR.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS co, wnsumun tv. b. c

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

SAMUEL M. WARD, JR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO SPENCER B. PRENTISS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed july 3, 1907. Serial No. 382,151.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. WARD, Jr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

Signals of the type to which my improve ments are directed have heretofore been so constructed that when the semaphore blade is in the vertical position. considerable pole space is required between signal pivots when two are mounted on the same pole; and when the weather is such. that great quantities of snow and ice accumulate on the blade, casting and other parts, whatis known as sticking is occasionally caused. This may be due to the shaft being frozen to the casing or by the accumulations on the moving parts freezing to the pole. It has been impossible in previous constructions to utilize such. accumulations on the moving parts to produce their maximum tendency in aiding the semaphore'to gravitate to danger, in case the signal becomes stuck; and when in the danger position these accumulations cause an unnecessary dead weight to be thrown on the driving motor, thereby causing an excessive expenditure of power on starting the signal.

Some previous constructions have the signal blade so close to the pole at the vertical position as to confuse the engineer of the train and increase the danger of sticking in severe weather. Other constructions are so arranged that the semaphore reaches its maximum tendency to gravitate, at or about the time the blade is suddenly halted in its descent at the danger position, causing se vere shock and strain on the operating and supporting parts: while in all previous constructions where for protection and reliability of operation the signal lamp hasbeen inclosed or shielded the frosting of the outer lens or glass has made the night signal very hazy and unsatisfactory.

It is the aim of this invention to meet these objections and thereby reduce the maintaining expenses of power operated signals, to decrease the pole distance between signal pivots for a given length of blade, when more than one is mounted on the same pole, and to so arrange and construct the signal lamp and lenses that a clear night signal is assured regardless of outside atmospheric conditions; and to make more certain a danger indication should the apparatus become defective. To attain there results the semaphore blade is mounted on the side of the casting and so constructed and arranged on the same that the semaphore has a maX1 mum tendency to gravitate to danger po sition when indicating clear (the vertical position) aided by any accumulations thereon and which at the danger position is in a state of stable equilibrium, thus allowing the signal to be easily started with little expenditure of power and suddenly brought to rest at its various indicatingpositionswithoutjar or shock to its operating and. supporting parts. The lamp is mounted within a casing and hot air therefrom is led off and discharged against or adjacent the outer surface of the lens, thus keeping it warm and free from frosting which takes place when warm moisture laden air strikes a cold 'sur face.

Some features of my invention are best adapted to that type of semaphore signal which moves to the vertical position to indicate clear and which is so pivoted that the casting and arm with any accumulation thereon always tend to gravitate in the same direction to the danger or horizontal position, but the invention is not necessarily limited to such a signal semaphore.

The novel details of construction, combinations, and arrangement of parts by which these objects are obtained will be best understood by the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of two semaphore signals built in accordance with my invention, and mounted on a common pole, both signals being shown as indicated clear, while the broken line positions of the lower signal arm indicate caution and danger respectively. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of my preferred form of easing showing the signal lamp, the lenses and the air passages for discharging hot air on the outer surface of the lens. Fig. 3 shows a method of securing the casing and semaphore to the pole, and Fig. 4 shows two modifications of the air flues in perspective.

Referring to the drawings, (Fig. 1) 1 is the spectacle casting pivoted on the shaft 2, which is journaled in the casing. The casting carries a plurality of lenses 4 arranged in circular series and on the opposite side of the lenses. from the pivot is mounted a blade 5 extending in a direction approximately parallel to a line through the centers of the two end lenses. The blade is mounted on a boss or extension 6 which is preferably formed approximately on a line passing through the spectacle pivot and the center lens, but it may be formed at any point to one side of and below the upper end of the casting.

In Fig. 2, 8 is the lamp shown in the lower front end of the casing and to one side of its center. A lens 9 is mounted in the front wall of the box, preferably in an inset 10 secured to or formed on the wall of the casing. One or more openings 11 in the front wall extend partially around the inset, or they may be formed in the wall of the inset. A deflector or baffle plate 12 is secured to the front wall concentric with and surrounding the lens and inset. This baffle plate has an opening registering with the lens and is preferably formed by being stamped up "from a ring of sheet metal, or it may be cast integral with the casing, and is preferably formed with a hole or opening near its bottom to allow water or other accumulations to drain off. A hood 13 consisting of a combustion chamber 14 and fines or air passages 15 fits over a ring 16 on the lamp and rests on the shoulder 21, the outer end registering with the openings 11. The part 14 may be of metal and formed integral with or secured to the part 15 or it may be of glass as an ordinary shade and have the flue part 15 fit over its top. I prefer to have the combustion cham ber of metal fitting loosely over the ring 16 while the flue part 15 is fitted snugly to the chamber 14, one being sprung into the other so that the lamp may be removed without disarranging the chamber and fines. The hot air passage or flue 15 may consist of a plurality of small tubes leading from a main dome to the openings spaced around the inset, or it may consist of only one flue having the appearance of a cylinder with its under side mashed in, so that the upper and lower walls are substantially parallel, as shown in Fig. 4. The lamp is preferably provided with a reflector 17 and a flaring shield 18 which fits up against the inset 10 so that all of the light rays are concentrated and directed through the lens. The power shaft 2 carrying the casting and blade is journaled in the upper front wall or supported within the casing in such a position that the lenses carried by the casting will register with the lens in the front Wall when the semaphore takes its various indicating positions. The electric motor or other driving mechanism is preferably situated withinthe casing 3 and when desired heated air from the casing may be discharged around the outer surface of the lens by passages separate from the lamp flues. It will be seen from the above de scription that the heated air from the combustion chamber and from the interior of the box when desired will be conducted off and discharged against the baflie plate which will deflect the heated columns against or toward the lens, and at the same time will serve to retard the heated air about the lens surface in such a manner that the space between the lens, the walls of the inset, when such is used, and the deflector plate will always be occupied by hot air so that the outer surface of the lens is kept warm and frosting is thereby prevented. By directly conducting off the hot air and discharging it as shown, not only is the outer surface of the lens heated to prevent frosting but snow and sleet are prevented from incasing the bulls eye; and the insulation of the electrical apparatus within the casing is kept from being overheated in hot weather, while in cold, damp weather the heat from the lamp due to radiation is quite sufficient to keep the electrical insulation of the apparatus within the box free from moisture.

\Vhile I have illustrated an oil lamp in connection with my invention, any other source of light, such as an electric light may be used and the heated air conducted off by suitable passages.

Fig. 3 shows a method of securing the casing to the pole. The sleeve 23 is cast with a bottom flange or ring 19 and two projecting wings or brackets 22 and 24, while the inside of the sleeve may be of any desired contour to be fitted to the pole. The bracket 22 projects out in a vertical plane approximately tangent to the sleeve and the bracket 24 projects out from the sleeve in a horizontal plane just below the bottom edge of the wing 22. The two wings may be cast intersecting each other, thus forming one bracket with its faces at 90 to each other. In both forms the casing is mounted on one wing and secured to the other as shown, thus firmly securing the casing to the sleeve; but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to this or any other particular form of sleeve and bracket,except as hereinafter specified in the appended claims. In previous constructions where only one signal per pole is used and the casing containing the lamp and signal operating mechanism is carried above on the pole the casing and sleeve have been cast integral and fitted on top of the pole, thus necessitating the loss of the whole casting when any part of either becomes broken.

lVhere home and distant signals have been used on the same pole, the driving motors have been placed below, with suitable rods or chains to connect them with their respective semaphores, which are journaled in cast chambers, each of which has a lower socket fitting over the top of the pole section below it and an upper socket in alinement there with, which in the case of the lower signal,

receives and supports the up er section of the pole, while the upper soc et of the top signal carries the short cap piece; the signal lanterns being exposed and supported behind their respective semaphore casings by separate brackets.

With the construction as herein shown, the sleeves may be fitted to the pole and properly spaced thereon before erection, and after the pole has been erected and the driving motor or other signal operating mechanism properly adjusted within the casing, it is then hoisted to its place on one of the brackets where it is supported until properly positioned, after which it is securely bolted in place. This construction has many advantages for without it the pole would have to be erected with the heavy parts mounted thereon, which may be damaged during erecshown in perspective.

tion, or else this heavy casing would have to be suspended in the air by some means while it was being fitted on the pole; and where the home and distant signals are mounted on the same pole, if the lower one became damaged in such a way that the casing had to be removed it would be necessary to entirely dismantle the upper signal to remove the lower one. If the damage were such that it were only necessary to remove a part of the apparatus within the casing, such as the motor armature, or a clutch, it would require the removal of these heavy parts from the box and their subsequent nice adjustment within the box, while on the pole;

but with my construction in case of damage to either of the signals, say the lower one, it is only necessary to unbolt the casing from the bracket and lower it for necessary repairs.

In Fig. 4 two forms of hot air lines are One form consisting of the central dome 20 and a plurality of tubes 15 leading therefrom to the holes through the casing wall, while in the other form a single tube 15 is shown for connecting the central dome to the casing holes. The dome and tubes are preferably struck up from sheet metal and secured together.

lVith the novel construction and arrangement of parts as above described, it will be seen that when the semaphore is in the vertical position indicating safety the arm takes up less space than has heretofore been possible; that the arm is at a maximum distance to one side of the post; that the center of gravity at this position is approximately on a horizontal line through the pivot and that this construction gives a maximum tendency to the semaphore casting when in said position to gravitate to the danger position and that any accumulations of snow or ice upon the blade will have a greater tendency to gravitate the semaphore in assisting its natural tendency than was possible in previous constructions, and likewise these accumulations cause less dead load to be thrown on the motor in raising the semaphore from the danger position than heretofore accomplished, and that a reliable and clear night signal is always given regardless of the outside atmospheric condition and a strong compact and easily assembled signal is obtained.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a support, a semaphore casting carrying lenses and pivoted to the support at a point to one side of said lenses, and a blade carried by the casting at the other side of said lenses and extending substantially parallel with a line drawn through the centers of the two outer lenses.

2. In combination, a support, a semaphore casting carrying lenses and pivoted to the support at a point to'one side of said lenses, and a blade carried by the casting at the other side of said lenses and extending substantially parallel with a line drawn through the centers of the two outer lenses, said blade and casting arranged to one side of their pivot when at the vertical or safety position, whereby they with any accumulations thereon tend to gravitate to the danger or horizontal position.

3. The combination with a semaphore support, of a casting carrying lenses, and pivoted to its support on a center to one side of its center of gravity when in a raised position, a semaphore blade carried by said casting at a point on the opposite side of said lenses from the pivot and having its base substantially on a horizontal line through the pivot when in the vertical position and substantially in vertical alinement therewith. when in the danger or horizontal position.

l. The combination with a semaphore sup port, of a spectacle frame having apertures arranged therein, a blade carried by said frame below the upper aperture, said blade extending substantially parallel with and to one side of a line through the two end apertures, the frame being pivoted to its support at the opposite side of said line, said casting and blade lying entirely to one side of the pivot when in the raised position whereby the casting and blade tend to gravitate in the same direction aided by any accumulations thereon.

5. In combination with a semaphore support, of a casting having lenses therein, a blade carried by said casting intermediate the outer lenses, said casting being pivoted to its'support at a center to one side of the center of gravity of said arm and casting when in a raised position, the arm and casting in such a position extending to one side of a vertical line through its pivot and when in 3 the danger or horizontal posltion bemg in stable equilibrium.

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6. In combination with a signal casing, a light therein, a transparency carried by said casing, and means for conducting heated air from within said casing to the outer surface of said transparency to prevent frosting of the same.

7. In combination with a signal casing, a light within said casing, a transparent bullseye mounted in the wall of said casing, means for conducting heated gases from within the casing and discharging the same adjacent the bullseye, and means for deflecting the discharged gases.

8. In combination with a closed signal box, a light therein, a bulls-eye mounted in an inset in the wall of said box, and means for conducting heated air from the light and discharging the same exterior of the box and within the inset, whereby the bulls-eye is kept from frosting.

9. In combination with a closed signal box, a lamp mounted within said box and completely inclosed thereby, a lens mounted in a tubular inset secured to the box, a defleeting plate or hood projecting exteriorly about said inset, and means for conducting heated air from the lamp and discharging said air within the hood, whereby the heated air is retarded in the vicinity of said lens to heat the same.

10. In combination, a signal supporting box, a support for the same comprising a sleeve having two wings at an angle to each other for supporting and securing the box.

11. In combination, a signal pole, a signal casing, a sleeve for said pole having a lateral and a longitudinal wing extending from the same, one for supporting the casing and the other for securing the same to the sleeve.

12. In a railway signal, the combination of a signal pole having a bracketed sleeve mounted thereon, a signal casing carried by said sleeve and having a lens in its front wall, heat generating meanswithin said casing and arranged to prevent frosting of the lens, and a spectacle casting carried by said casing and having suitably arranged lenses for registering with the first mentioned lens to indicate the condition of a track.

13. The combination with a signal pole, of a plate-like supporting bracket, means substantially concentric with the pole for remov-v ably securing the bracket, and a signal casing removably secured to said bracket.

14. In combination with a signal pole, a plurality of supporting brackets independently and removably secured to said pole by securing parts substantially concentric with the pole, and a signal casing removably carried by and secured to each of said brackets, whereby the brackets may be independently adjusted on the pole for determining the po sition of the signals on the pole and the casings removed independently of the brackets.

15. In signaling apparatus, the combination of inclosing signal casings or boxes, signal operating mechanism inclosed therein, a pole on which the casings are carried, supporting brackets to which the casings are removably secured, and means concentric with the pole for removably mounting the brackets thereon, whereby either casing with its signal operating mechanism intact may be removed for repairs without disturbing the other casing on the pole.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL M. WARD, JR.

Witnesses:

SPENCER B. PREN'rrss, JOHN P. TARBOX. 

